Around 200 activists of all ages, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and members of migrants’ communities in Cyprus, marched on Saturday 22/3 to US Embassy.
The call for demo initiated by Stop the War Coalition-Cy was made by various Greek Cypriots organisations and Turkish Cypriots trade unions and groups to coincide with the 5th anniversary of the invasion in Iraq. The only parliamentary party which took part in the Stop the War Coalition – Cy was the Cyprus Green Party. The Secretary General of the Cyprus Greens Mr. George Perdikes was in the front of the march. The Cypriot media made a specific comment about the presence of the Cyprus Green Party.
Speaking to the crowd, Green Party leader George Perdikis, referring to the protest over wars in Iraq and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, said: “These kinds of situation show the growth of common events organised by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and can create a progressing climate for reunification of the island.”
A joint statement from the different groups said in the five years since the US invaded and occupied Iraq, the world had become a more dangerous place. “Iraq has been torn apart with a million dead and four million displaced,” said the statement.
It also said the hidden war in Afghanistan has killed tens of thousands and the turmoil as a result of the so-called war on terror had also destabilised Pakistan. The US setting its sights on war with Iran was another factor causing global instability as was the US permission to Turkey to invade northern Iraq.
It also mentioned US support for Israel “the US guard dog in the Middle East” to bomb Lebanon, the situation in Somalia, Kenya and the Balkans.
“The recent attack by the Israeli army in Gaza has cost the lives of 150 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children.”
The statement also criticised previous Cypriot governments for offering facilities to the US military operations in the region.
The combative demonstrators when they arrived outside the fortress-like building of the USA Embassy ringed with barbed wire, despite the presence of riot police, chanted in Greek and in Turkish “Butcher Bush out of Bagdad”, “Viva-Viva-Viva Palestina”, “British bases out of Cyprus”, etc.
The anti-war demo in Nicosia, despite the fact that all mainstream political parties were absent and the poor media coverage put Cyprus once again in the map of the international antiwar protest.
The call for demo initiated by Stop the War Coalition-Cy was made by various Greek Cypriots organisations and Turkish Cypriots trade unions and groups to coincide with the 5th anniversary of the invasion in Iraq. The only parliamentary party which took part in the Stop the War Coalition – Cy was the Cyprus Green Party. The Secretary General of the Cyprus Greens Mr. George Perdikes was in the front of the march. The Cypriot media made a specific comment about the presence of the Cyprus Green Party.
Speaking to the crowd, Green Party leader George Perdikis, referring to the protest over wars in Iraq and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, said: “These kinds of situation show the growth of common events organised by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and can create a progressing climate for reunification of the island.”
A joint statement from the different groups said in the five years since the US invaded and occupied Iraq, the world had become a more dangerous place. “Iraq has been torn apart with a million dead and four million displaced,” said the statement.
It also said the hidden war in Afghanistan has killed tens of thousands and the turmoil as a result of the so-called war on terror had also destabilised Pakistan. The US setting its sights on war with Iran was another factor causing global instability as was the US permission to Turkey to invade northern Iraq.
It also mentioned US support for Israel “the US guard dog in the Middle East” to bomb Lebanon, the situation in Somalia, Kenya and the Balkans.
“The recent attack by the Israeli army in Gaza has cost the lives of 150 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children.”
The statement also criticised previous Cypriot governments for offering facilities to the US military operations in the region.
The combative demonstrators when they arrived outside the fortress-like building of the USA Embassy ringed with barbed wire, despite the presence of riot police, chanted in Greek and in Turkish “Butcher Bush out of Bagdad”, “Viva-Viva-Viva Palestina”, “British bases out of Cyprus”, etc.
The anti-war demo in Nicosia, despite the fact that all mainstream political parties were absent and the poor media coverage put Cyprus once again in the map of the international antiwar protest.
